Unions Must Work With Organizations To Solve Issues, CHA Leader Says
Unions and organizations must work together to solve problems in health care and other industries, according to Duane Dauner, president and CEO of the California Hospital Association, the Sacramento Business Journal reports.
Dauner's Comments
Dauner said that unions could make significant gains in the health care field, despite that the Affordable Care Act aims to make cuts to certain health care providers.
He said, "If you look at unions, the environment will become more adversarial than before."
According to Dauner, some health care unions -- such as the California Nurses Association and the National Union of Healthcare Workers -- "look at management and employers as the enemy." He added that those unions "draw a line in the sand. Anything management does, they are against."
However, Dauner said that unions like Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West "understan[d] we can't continue down the track we are on," adding, "They are working with us, and we are trying to work with them on health care policy and high-road labor relations."
For example, CHA and SEIU-UHW are working to improve workers' health while reducing health care costs through the "Let's Get Healthy California" campaign.
Response
In response to Dauner's comments, Chuck Idelson -- CNA spokesperson -- said that Dave Regan, president of SEIU-UHW -- is "effectively an employee of CHA."
Idelson acknowledged that CNA has its own agenda. He said that CNA is "interested in public policy" and has "played a leadership role on this in California" (Robertson, Sacramento Business Journal, 11/25).
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